Tube expander and flanger.



W. 0. PROME. TUBE BXIANDER AND PLANGER. APPLICATION IILED I'EB517, 191a.

Patented Fb.24,19'14.

. dinally 'Wataga,

compound tool or two tools,

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

WILLIAM O. FROIVIE, OF WATAGA, ILLINOIS.

TUBE EXPANDER. AND FLANGER- To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, WILLIAM O. FRoMn, a citizen of the United States, residing at in thecounty of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulTube Expander and Flanger, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for expanding that portion of boilerflues which lie beyond or inward of the flue-sheet, and for flanging orswaging the end portions of the flues which lie exterior thereto.

To some little extent boiler tubes or flues expand or contract as theyare heated or cooled. The expansion is both longitudinal and transverseof the flue. With these basic facts in view the primary object of theinvention is to provide an expander which will enlarge that portion ofthe flue which lies just beyond the flue-sheet in such manner that itforms a taper or wedge, which when the flue is heated will in expandinglongituforce itself (after the fashion of a wedge) into the apertureprovided in said sheet; and as it is crowding itself longitudinallythereinto, the transverse expansion will force it even more ture.

Minor objects will be in part definitely pointed out and in partobvious.

In the accom )anying drawing, illustrates a pre erred embodiment of theinvention :Figure 1 is a longitudinal, central sectional view; Fig. 2, asimilar view, the rollers reversed, from the positions shown in Fig.1,and some of the parts not shown; Fig. 3, a plan, seen from the frontend of the device, the parts in the same relative positions as in Fig.1; and Fig. 4, an elevation, a fraginental detail. Fig. 1 illustratesthe position of the rollers for expanding the inner portions of thefines; Fig. 2, the positions whlch they occupy in flaring the fine ends.

I have sought to provide a casingand rollers having novelrelationship-the slots and rollers being of such relative sizes andoutlines that a portion of the latter may project bodily therethrough,but another portion, being of slightly greater cross-section or diameterthe width of the slots, will project only slightly therethrough. Inthese slots the rollers may be reversed or turned end-for-end in orderthat the two operations, heretofore requiring either a may be perSpecification of Letters Patent.

tightly into the aperwhich- Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

application filed February 17, 1913. Serial No. 748,851.

casing having an annular flange 3 and an axial bore 5. Its Wallisprovided with oblong rectangular slots 4.

6 designates a loose collar having bosses 7 9 is a restraininv ring,preferably of wire. These parts are old in the art and to themspecifically I make no claim.

10 is a tapered mandrel having a ratchetfaced head 11 and a constrictedtip 12, the latter threaded for the engagement of a nut 13.

14 is a tubular collar having internal threads 15 which receive athreaded plug 16' having a ratchet face 17 which is adapted to engagethe face 11 in the manner of such devices.

18 is a coil spring for holding the-ratchet faces in engagement.

19 is a hand-lever loosely seated in the plug 16.

20 designates either one of a suitable number of rollers loosely andremovably seat-ed in the casing 2.' Each has a hemispherical headportion 21 and preferably a similarly shaped foot portion 22. Byreference to Fig. 1 it will. be seen that the contact of the head 21against the casing wall, especially the front portion thereof, andthereby the friction, is, because of the hemispherical form thereof,much reduced. ,Each roller is tapered, the degree thereof being greaterthan that of the mandrel, so that when the rollers are occupying thepositions shown in Fig. 1 a circle described by their points of greatestdiameter, would be greater than that in any lower plane with the deviceconsidered as standing in the position shown in Fig. 1. The smaller endof the roller 'is of such diameter that it may pass bodily In operation,the fore end of the device is inserted into the end of a flue 23 untilthe bosses 7 rest against the flue-sheet 24, whereupon the operator willforce the mandrel forward until it is sufficiently' tight, and will thenoperate it by means of the lever 19 which will impart rotary movement tothe plug 16 to move the ratchet l1-l7 in l formed in an efficient mannerandwith dessuch-a manner as to turn the mandrel, the friction'ot' whichwill rotate the rollers, each on its axis, and the rollers Will causethe casing to turn. The mandrel being forced forward the rollers willgradually expand that portion of the flue which lies just inward of theflue-sheet, until it assumes the conic contour shown at 11:. As thetflueis expanded (in use, by the heat) it Will elon- 3 said casing and saidrollers being reversible in said slots and the smaller portion of eachless in diameter than the width of the slot in which it lies and itstaper greater than that of the mandrel, a ratcheted head on saidmandrel, and ratcheted means for rotating said head.

2. Combined in a device of the character described, a tubularcasinghaving slots in its wall, tapered rollers loosely arranged one ineach slot, a tapered mandrel Working in said casing and adapted toactuate said rollers, the smaller end of each roller being of lessdiameter than the width of the slot in which it lies and its tapergreater than that of the mandrel, a ratcheted head on said mandrel, andratcheted means for rotating said head.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature, inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM O. FROME.

Witnesses:

H. M. RICHARDS, WEBB A. HERLOCKER.

